One picture, many stories:
I roughly estimate that 5% of adult Turks are less than 5 foot tall; dwarfism is relatively common. Also common are leg malformations/deformities -whether the result of automobiles or birth, I do not know.
This gentelmen was close to 3 feet tall, and appeared to be anywhere from 60-80 years old.
Begging is an accepted vocation, and may be persued without fear of harrasment by the polis. It is not unusual to find older women, sometimes with infants, seeking charity -regardless of weather or hour. Often a trade good of nominal value is offered in exchange. This fellow is offering sweets; frail, he braces himself against the press of foot traffic on one of the busiest pedestrian streets in The City. Islamic culture values charity, and the poor are a visible part of society. This is a hard place, but not without humanity.
